The Moment I Knew
by Pichitinha
Summary: Artemis has been dating Wally for six years when she overhears a snippet of conversation he's having with his aunt in the kitchen.


Artemis has been dating Wally for over six years, now. He's been her only _serious_ boyfriend, considering they started dating when they were only sixteen. They've lived together for a little over three years and, quite frankly, things were great. People had told her in the past that you eventually outgrow your high school sweetheart, and she used to believe that, until she met Wally. There's just something about him… she can't really see herself with anyone else. She loves him and she's completely _in_ love with him and she'd have to be blind to not see how that was completely reciprocated.

Artemis has been dating Wally for six years when she overhears a snippet of conversation he's having with his aunt in the kitchen.

"Aunt I… when did you know uncle Barry was the one? I mean, how did you know you wanted to marry him?"

There's a pause in which Artemis can't really see what's happening as she's on the other side of the door, but soon Iris sighs.

"I just… knew, I guess. One day we were just happy and together and the next day I simply knew I wanted him and only him forever. You just _know_ , you know?"

"Yeah." Wally agrees. "I guess I do."

Artemis runs away immediately.

* * *

Dinner had been awkward, to say the least. Artemis can't help but be on the edge all night after what she heard, and every time Wally would so much as gesture towards her or his pockets direction, she'd act strange.

He, of course, questions her as soon as they get in the car.

"Hey, babe, you ok?" He's adjusting the seat and mirrors as he's apparently driving today, since Artemis absentminded headed for the passenger's seat instead of the driver's. _Another_ sign something is definitely wrong.

"What?" She looks at him then, the first time since before dinner. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little headache."

"You're sure? You were acting really weird back there."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Really, I just need a shower and some sleep."

He nods, unconvinced, and they head home in silence.

Artemis can't stop thinking about what Iris said. _I just knew_. That's such a movies cliché, waking up and realizing ' _it's him'_. And she's never had that kind of revelation before. She never had that epiphany, that feeling of certainty. She loves Wally, yes, and she does not think of a future without him. But marriage? Without that… that _moment_? It feels suffocating.

She can't really sleep that night. More than the uncertainty of her own future, she's worried about Wally: he was asking about marriage to his aunt. Why would he be asking unless he was thinking of it? Could she say yes without _the moment_? The moment which he, apparently, had already had, as he had agreed with Iris when she asked him? Was Wally certain he wanted her for the rest of his life? And could she say yes without being sure? And _isn't_ she sure? She doesn't want anyone else, she does want him, but she's never had the realization. Something must be missing, right?

Oh _god_.

* * *

She wakes up with kisses on her neck and for that blissful moment, still under a sleepy haze, all she does is smile and snuggle back against him.

"Morning." His voice is rasp as he continues his ministrations, moving to the back of her neck and then down.

"Morning." She replies relishing on the warm feeling of his skin against hers, his lips pressing up on her sensitive spots. "What gives?"

"I have a beautiful semi-naked blonde on my bed, that's all." He jokes as he turns her around, their eyes meeting before he kisses her lips. It's tender and sweet and just overall a wonderful way to wake up. She loves this, loves kissing him, loves lazy mornings in bed, loves _him_.

He trails down her body with his mouth and she just sighs contently. His hands soon follow suit, roaming over her entire figure, and even though she'd normally be all over him as well, today she wants to lay back and enjoy, something he doesn't seem to mind.

Wally moves back up, their lips meeting once more in a quick kiss before he looks at her. "You okay?"

The words send her back to the day before and she tenses. "Why do you ask?"

"You were feeling down yesterday, I'm just worried. Are you feeling better?" His brows are creased and she can see the worry in his eyes which causes an urge of affection for him, but that doesn't erase her worries.

"I'm-I'm okay. Yeah, totally better. I just, I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me." She disentangles from him and gets up quickly, sure that that's not how he planned on ending their little session, but she doesn't look back as she leaves the room.

* * *

It's Sunday, which usually is _their_ day, the only day in the week they can take only to themselves with minor chores and errands. _I can do this_ , Artemis convinces herself. There's nothing in particular indicating that Wally is even close to thinking about proposing. He could be asking that to his aunt for a million reasons. And even if he is thinking about proposing, he's not gonna do it today, right? He'd have to have asked that question a long time ago if he was planning on doing something now. As far as she knows he doesn't even have a ring!

She forces herself to calm down, then. Worrying will solve nothing and, she tries to convince herself, there's nothing really to be worried about. Wally proposing? Is that what's troubling her? That's pathetic, honestly. What they have is solid and real and the prospect of a proposal should have, if anything, the opposite effect on her.

She tries to focus on all of that all day long. _Nothing to worry, be happy, he won't do anything, you love him, everything is fine_. They spend a quality day together, but Artemis knows that he can see something is not quite right. He keeps glancing worriedly at her and that only makes her feel worse because one of them under distress is enough, she doesn't Wally worrying about her when _there's nothing to be worried about in the first place_.

Still, she knows this feeling will keep following her, and she can't take it anymore.

"Shit! You know what, Wally, I promised my mom I'd go see her today and I forgot!" She exclaims suddenly when the episode they were watching ends.

"You agreed to go see her on a Sunday?" He asks curiously, his eyebrows up. They never make plans on Sunday as it is, once again, their day.

"Yeah, she had something yesterday and we had dinner with your family in the evening… just seemed better to do it today. I'll just zeta there for a while, but I'll be back early, ok?"

"Do you want me to come with you?" He offers promptly, starting to get up.

"No!" She denies quickly. "I mean, I don't know what mom wants, might be better if I go alone. I'll call you if I need anything, ok?"

He nods, clearly not convinced, and she kisses his lips before putting on some more clothes and leaving the apartment.

* * *

She has a cup of tea in her hands, her mind searching for the words to what exactly she wants to hear from her mother. The other woman is patient, drinking her tea slowly and eyeing her knowingly.

"Artemis, will you tell me why you appeared unannounced on a Sunday evening?"

"Yes. Yes, of course. Uh… I was just wondering… I don't remember that many details about your relationship when I was kid, but I don't really recall you and dad as ever being… _romantic_. Were you, ever? Like, did you two… did you love each other?"

She knows her mom doesn't like talking about Lawrence, but this is bigger than her. She needs to know, she needs more intel than just Iris' experience because Iris and Barry are simply the perfect couple and not everyone follows their perfect road, right?

"I did." Her mother answers promptly, though, her face unreadable. "And I think he did too, at some point. I don't know really when we fell _out_ of it. But we certainly felt something before. Otherwise I wouldn't have married him."

"Why did you?"

Her mom shrugs. "Like I said, I loved him. There was no reason _not_ to."

"Did you ever have a realization moment? Like waking up one day and knowing dad was the one?"

"No. And good thing, 'cause he wasn't." She tries joking, but Artemis can't laugh because she feels choked on her throat. "I just figured… we were in love, right? So why not?"

Artemis can't answer, her heart beating a million times per hour.

"Why do you ask, Artemis? Are you and Wally…"

"No! No, we're not. It's nothing, just something a friend of mine was saying the other day and… it just got me thinking. It's nothing."

She dismisses her mom quickly, but she knows the other woman is not buying it and most likely knows precisely what is happening. Her mom has always had the gift. Nonetheless, she says nothing and sips her tea.

Artemis is unsure whether she's grateful or not.

* * *

Artemis goes back home later than she intended. Wally is already in bed by the time she enters the apartment, and she hopes that he's not upset or worse, based on his reaction to her actions.

"Hey, babe." She calls to him as she opens the bedroom door after a quick shower.

"Hey." He doesn't deviate his eyes from his phone, but although tired, he doesn't look upset or mad. "How's your mom? Everything ok?"

"Uh, yeah, nothing urgent. She just wanted to chat."

Wally looks at her then, and she knows he didn't buy it, but he doesn't say anything.

Artemis walks to her side of the bed and lays down, weirded out by the situation. They never go to bed mad at each other – either they sort it out or they don't sleep – so it's unusual that there'd be tension.

And that's when Wally sort of sits up and turns to her, his expression nervous.

"Artemis, I need to ask you something."

She sits up, too. _Oh no_.

"Wally, please don't, I can't say yes now and-"

"Are you pregnant?"

They just stare at each other for a few seconds, both clearly confused.

" _What_? What are you talking about?" She asks, completely off guard. Pregnant? Where did he get that from?

"What are _you_ talking about? Can't say yes to what?"

"I asked you first." She states defensively.

"I'm just… you were so weird yesterday night, and then you barely touched your dinner, today you rushed to the bathroom several times, your attitude was really strange, you suddenly needed to see your mom and I know you're hiding something from me. I'm gonna tell you, I'm really hoping for pregnancy, because I don't know if I could handle cheating."

"Wally, I am _not_ pregnant." She states, firmly, and then she meets his eyes. " _Nor_ am I cheating on you. Come on, Wally."

"Then what is happening? Why are you acting so weird all of a sudden? And what the hell can't you say yes to? A threesome? Cause you know I was just joking, right?"

Despite the situation, she has to roll her eyes.

"I… I'm sorry, Wally." She sighs. "I overheard you and Iris yesterday, in the kitchen. You asked her how she knew she wanted to marry Barry and she just said some bullshit of 'when it's time you'll know' and I'm just… I _don't_ know, I never have that moment, that realization, and I'm afraid that you have and that you'll propose and I just… I can't say yes to that because I don't ' _just know_ '."

She can't look at him because he's most definitely devastated and she can't take it. She wishes she did 'just know' because she loves him and she wants to be sure, sure enough to not hurt him, but she _isn't_.

"Babe." He takes one of her hands into his and makes her look at him. "I never had that moment either."

"No?"

"No. I freaked out a little yesterday too after Aunt I told me that, but after… I guess you weren't listening me anymore. I told her that I thought about marrying you and, you know, building a family and all that, but that I had never had an insight and that maybe I should just forget everything and not make a fool of myself and… anyway. And she told me that her realization wasn't a magic thought that he was her soulmate and that there were no doubts or such. Her realization was more like _I have been in love with him for so long and I want to be with him forever for so long_ that it just… it suddenly made sense to take the next step, something she's never thought before."

"Oh."

"And Artemis, that's what happened to me yesterday morning, that's why I asked her. I know that I love you, and I know that I'd love to be married to you, and I always think about a future together. But I have for a long time, now. I just… suddenly I want it to be a plan instead of just a possibility. Does that make sense?"

"Yes." She doesn't trust her words as she is a tiny bit more emotional than she usually is. "That makes total sense."

"Babe, I was totally _not_ gonna propose, I thought about it literally less than 48 hours ago, but if you wanna go for it, I'm game."

She laughs and jumps on him. "You know what? Let's do it. Let's get married!"

"Yeah?" He has a huge stupid grin on his face and she _loves_ it.

"Yeah!"

"This is a much less terrifying end to the night than you being pregnant."

She slaps his arm at the remark, but laughs and kisses him anyway.

"I love you." She says as she moves to his lap, her head towering his.

"I love you, too." He pecks her lips. "Future Misters West."

"You'd better get me a ring tomorrow."

"First thing in the morning."

"Speaking of mornings." She adjusts herself to get closer. "How about we finish what we started in today's?"

"It's like you can read my mind, babe."

* * *

When Artemis wakes up the next morning, there's a "congratulations" on her phone, texted from her mom. She just smiles, her mom always knows what's happening.


End file.
